Second-hand smoke: harmful

04september2013
Source: licg.nl
Even dogs and cats suffer from the effects of second-hand smoke. British experts have found that the dogs and cats of owners who smoke have twice as much chance of developing cancer as their counterparts living smoke-free.
A smoky environment increases the risk of nose and lung cancer for dogs; for cats, the increased risk is expressed in higher rates of lymphoma, a cancer of the blood and lymph system.

According to the investigators, many people do not realize that smoke can harm their pets. These animals take in damaging particles not only through the smoke they inhale, but also through the residues that stick to their fur. As dogs and cats groom themselves by licking their coat, they also swallow the residues. An earlier study at the University of Glasgow had already demonstrated nicotine in the fur of smokers’ dogs. The increased risk of bronchitis and asthma in pets due to passive smoking had also been shown in previous studies.